I am so thankful you have taken time to stop by and be apart of The Prontable Guy Crearive Corner. Truth be told I didn’t really know what else to call this little “sidebar” blog post conversation. Don’t be surprised if it changes names at some point.

Define what you’re good at

In my early twenties, I often found myself pondering about my skills and how they were perceived by others. During that phase, I was employed as an industrial painter at a nearby factory. This job entailed meticulously painting various parts and products for extensive periods, sometimes to the point of working continuously without a break for days on end. This chapter of my life was characterized by the sheer number of hours I dedicated to work and the relentless cycle of continuous days at the job. Perhaps you can resonate with this experience, as many individuals encounter the struggle of being stuck on the relentless "hamster wheel" of work life, finding it challenging to step off and take a breather.

Fast-forward to my early forties, and I find myself rebranding myself, finding work I actually enjoy, and understanding the unanswered question of “what am I really good at?” As I mentioned in my early twenties, I had to go back in time to find the answer. Here are three things I discovered.

Making Money

Making money hasn’t been a problem for me; now, being able to save one hundred percent has, though. I think we all fall into that category.

As I matured in my working career as an employee and a business owner, I acquired various skills to make money to survive, feed my family, and even enjoy a vacation. Over time, through multiple experiences and challenges, I have honed my abilities to meet financial needs and create opportunities for moments of relaxation and pleasure with my loved ones. Often, I find myself caught up in the continuous cycle where the pressure to increase output competes with the value of honing skills to boost productivity. It seems like a constant juggle between striving for quantity and investing in enhancing the quality of work, all while dedicating additional time to the craft.

When I decided to return to school in my early thirties, it opened up a whole new realm for me - the realm of selling digital products. It was around 2008 that the realm of Adobe began to soar, parallel with the emergence of personal die-cutting machines like Craft Robo and CriCut. I share this story to highlight how stepping out of my comfort zone and acquiring new skills enabled me to kickstart honing my abilities and establishing an online business centered on selling digital products. Fast forward to today, and selling digital files such as SVGs has become the new norm for many individuals who possess these cutting-edge machines and aspire to establish a successful online venture from the comfort of their homes. The ease of sharing these digital designs has opened up exciting opportunities for creative entrepreneurs looking to monetize their artistic capabilities in the digital realm.

Where does “Printables” fall in this Making Money category?

I attribute my success in establishing a somewhat self-sustaining business to the knowledge and abilities I acquired during my years in college, which took place in my thirties. Thanks to these competencies, I managed to create a venture that operates with minimal daily oversight. The realm of Printables encompasses numerous diverse categories, and I frequently stumble upon unexpected ideas that never crossed my mind before. I am excited about sharing more of these discoveries in the future.

The main lesson and take away in the Making Money category of my life I share with you is that don’t be afraid to aquire new skills. Having those skills help you to grow not only personally but financially as well.

Risk Rewards

The opportunity to gain a reward through risk can sometimes be overwhelming. I fondly recall the early 2000s, when I embarked on learning how to code basic websites. It was an era when the internet was experiencing a rapid boom, emphasizing the need to create websites for businesses, primarily to facilitate their online presence and enable e-commerce functionalities. I vividly remember the excitement and challenges of those early days.

You may be wondering how Risk Reward ties in with coding basic websites and advancing my income. I attribute my success to my eagerness to acquire a skill that few were willing to pursue. Thanks to my curiosity, I established a small side business that not only generated additional earnings but also reclaimed some of my time. The risk I faced was the fear of failure - what if my learning efforts were in vain? However, I can confidently affirm that embarking on this learning journey paid off in mastering this new technological skill. Through this process, I developed the expertise to build, program, and run my own e-commerce platform for selling various physical goods, which has opened up exciting new opportunities for growth and financial stability.

The learning didn’t stop there and moved to the level of understanding that digital products are what I wanted to grow more into. A business that didn’t require my physical time on a repeated basis, the product was very shelf sturdy with no expiration date, and the shipping could be electronic. Now we meet the world of printables!

Grow a skill and learn to maintain that skill.

Systems and Processes

Whether I was working as an industrial painter, creating my products to sell, or even now as a digital product entrepreneur, one discovery of what I have grown to be extremely good at is Systems and Processes. Through years of experience and constant learning, I have honed my skills in designing efficient procedures and structured workflows that optimize productivity and enhance the overall quality of my work.

Now, in my late forties, I can reflect on the journey where the Money Making Trail first started for me. It has been about discovering the importance of efficiency in time management, embracing creativity, and persevering through various challenges and victories. These experiences have taught me the valuable lesson of persistence and the significance of staying dedicated to my core mission and goals. This journey has been about exploring new horizons and establishing effective systems and processes to pave the way forward.

Developing a system and process is a fluid expedition filled with twists and turns. I may find myself engrossed in one project, and although I may not particularly savor the tasks at hand, I take great pleasure in streamlining and perfecting the time invested in that specific project.

I always love to share my experiences with those who are in a similar situation, whether they are starting an online business, selling digital products, or looking to earn some extra income on auto-pilot. It's important to find joy in the process so that you can sustain your efforts. As you navigate this journey, you will inevitably develop new skills. Even if a project doesn't yield the desired outcome, you'll have gained a valuable new skill set to rely on.